Just pressing the *T9 key from the main menu just tried to do a "search" for just the asterik. (Even trying to hold down the key didn't work.) So, I called Verizon Tech Support since this obviously didn't involve A1. On my phone, and most Verizon phones according to Tech Support, one has to be in a place where text is entered to be able to activate the *T9 function and thus change the input mode. i.e. one has to be in for instance "Text", "Enter New Appointment", etc. where you actually type in something from the keyboard. After doing this I am in the ABC Multi-press mode, vs. the T9 mode as the default on my phone.

I also made sure that I was in the ABC Multi-press mode within A1 from the Global Settings menu. Then I completed as "Soft" reset versus the "Hard" reset that I had done previously.

Now the result: By doing this, it did elimate the "choices" that were on the bottom of the screen that I described in a previous post. I am successful in using and entering anything while in the "Search" function in A1 (i.e. going into the Magnifying Glass.)

BUT ... I still can not enter what I want while in the "Contacts" node. While in Contacts, like before, when I want to search for Judy when pushing the 5JKL key, all that shows up is the 5. i.e. I can not use multi-press. It just keeps entering a 5 instead of letting me enter a J. BTW - the different choices that were present on the bottom of the screen previously are no longer there since I am out of the T9 mode on the phone.